EDITOR'S TABLE . EDITORIAL CHIT- CHAT . A WOMAN OF GOOD TASTE.-The London Quarterly Review FEMININE DECORATIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.-The has a capital sketch of " the woman of taste." It says: You ladies in Japan gild their teeth, and those of the Indies see her turning a cold eye to the assurance ofshopmen and paint them red. The blackest teeth are considered the the recommendation of milliners. She cares not how orimost beautiful in Guzerat, and in some parts of America; ginal a pattern may be, if it be ugly, or how recent a shape, while in Greenland the women color their faces with blue if it be awkward. Whatever laws fashion dictates, she foland yellow. However fresh the complexion of a Musco- lows a law of her own, and is never behind it. She wears vite may be, she would think herself very ugly if she were very beautiful things, which people generally suppose to not plastered with paint. The Chinese must have their be fetched from Paris, or, at least, made by a French millifeet as diminutive as those of she-goats ; and, to make them ner, but which as often are bought at the nearest town and 80, their youth is passed in the torture of small wooden made up by her own maid. Not that her costume is either shoes. rich or new ; on the contrary, she wears many a cheap In some countries, mothers break the noses of their chil- dress, but it is always pretty, and many an old one, but it dren; and in others, they press the head between two is always good. She deals in no gaudy confusion of colors, boards that it may become square. The modern Persians nor does she affect a studied sobriety ; but she either rehave a strong aversion to red hair. The Turkish women, freshes you with a spirited contrast, or composes you with on the contrary, are warm admirers of it. The Indian is a judicious harmony. Not a scrap of tinsel or trumpery thickly smeared with bear's fat. In China small eyes are appears upon her. She puts no faith in velvet bands, or not admired. The Turkish ladies dip a gold brush in the gilt buttons, or twisted cording . She is quite aware, howtincture of a black drug, which they pass over their eye- ever, that the garnish is as important as the dress; all her brows, to cause them to appear prominent, and they tinge inner borders and beadings are delicate and fresh; and their nails with a rose-color. The female head-dress is, in should anything peep out which is not intended to be seen, some countries, singularly extravagant. The Chinese fair it is quite as much so as that which is. After all, there is one carries on her head the figure of a bird : this bird is no great art either in her fashions or her materials. The composed of copper or gold, according to the quality ofthe secret simply consists in her knowledge of the three grand person ; the wings, which are spread out, fall over the front unities of dress- her own station, her own age, and her own of the head-dress, and conceal the temples; the tail is long points. And no woman can dress well who does not. After and open, and forms a beautiful tuft of feathers ; the beak this we need not say that whoever is attracted by the cosshades the top of the nose, and the neck is fastened to the tume will not be disappointed in the wearer. She may not undulate and at be handsome nor accomplished, but we will answer for her body by a spring, that it may freely play, the slightest motion. being even-tempered, well-informed, thoroughly sensible, Bruce writes, as the climax of female decorations, his and a complete lady. description of the favorite queen of Senaar :-" A ring of gold passed through her under lip, and weighed it down To KNIT A MITTEN WITH ONE FINGER.-Cast on threo till it almost covered her chin, leaving her teeth bare, needles sixty-four or more stitches according to the size which were very small and very fine; the inside of her lip desired, and knit about two inches of ribbing; then, at the was blackened with antimony; her ears reached down to middle of one of the needles, bring in the thread to make her shoulders , and had the appearance of wings ; there was an eyelet to begin the widening for the thumb; then knit a gold ring in each of them, about five inches in diameter, one round, knitting in that stitch ; on the next round, make and somewhat thinner than a man's little finger; the an eyelet on each side of the first one, and so on every weight of this had drawn down the hole where her ear second round, making the eyelet to the right or left of the was pierced so much that three fingers might easily pass previous one, widening until about seventeen holes are above the ring. Her neck was adorned with a gold neck- made on each row; then, take off all these extra stitches lace of several rows, one above the other, to which were on a string, cast on five or six stitches and knit one round, hung rows of perforated sequins, and upon her ankles were narrow one stitch at each end of the cast-on stitches, and two rings of gold, larger than those used for chaining again at the second round ; then, knit until time to make felons ." Another of the wives, in addition to these, "had the finger, and take off on a string one-fourth of the stitches, chains coming from her ears to the outside of each nostril, dividing them equally on each side of a line with the thumb, where they were fastened. A ring was also put through cast on four or five stitches to make room between the finthe gristle of her nose, and it hung down to the opening of gers, knit one round, and narrow one at each end of the her mouth; having altogether something of the appearance cast-on stitches, knit as long as you wish the mitt, then of a horse's bridle." narrow and finish. Thumb- Put on the stitches from the THE MOST BRILLIANT IN THE FIELD.-We promised that string, fasten the thread at the right hand side, knit on until you come to the cast-on stitches, take up like for the our January number should excel anything of the kind heel of a stocking, knit one round: then narrow at each end ever published; and the press, everywhere, pronounces of the cast-on stitches until the thumb is reduced to the that we have kept our word. As a type of scores of notices size desired, knit until long enough and finish. Fingerto this effect, we copy the following from the Boston (Mass.) Take up the stitches off the string, narrow one or more Traveler:-" The January number of Peterson's Magazine, which is received by A. Williams & Co., is the most bril- stitches, knit as long as the mitt. liant periodical of the season . It has seventy-five engravINSTRUCTIONS IN NETTING .-In a former volume of this ings and fifty-three articles, and in every way appeals to readers of discernment. Among the embellishments is a Magazine we gave full instructions in netting, which were pattern for Ornamental Basket in Berlin-Work, in twelve subsequently republished in our " Dictionary of Needlework." We make this statement, in reply to M. A., as well colors." as other correspondents . 176
